Tales In And In Between Battles
by warriorgramma
Summary: A collection of fluffy drabbles about Rex and Ahsoka during the Clone Wars. No over-arcing plot, but all set in the same timeline. Rex/Ahsoka
1. Part 1 - Growing Pains

**Part 1 - Growing Pains**

 _Summary: Ahsoka experiences growing pains and can't sleep. Rex offers some advice and helps to remedy the situation._

* * *

Ahsoka groaned as she turned over on her bedroll. She couldn't sleep, and her body hurt all over. It wasn't from a recent battle or intense training exercise. The 501st had landed on the rocky planet Tulkarr close to nightfall, and did nothing but set up camp upon their arrival. She knew why her entire body ached. It was growing pains. Ahsoka was excited to have grown 2 inches in the last few months, but her stiff joints and constantly throbbing lekku said otherwise. Admitting defeat, the Togruta stood up and headed to the rations tent for a cup of water.

"Going for a midnight stroll?" Ahsoka was startled when a large white lump tucked under a protruding boulder spoke to her. Ahsoka's eyes adjusted to the darkness to reveal Captain Rex laying on his bedroll.

"I couldn't sleep," Ahsoka replied. "Was going to get some water. Sorry if I woke you."

"Don't worry, you didn't," Rex sat up. Ahsoka noticed he was still in his armor. (She found it so strange than some of the troopers slept in their armor. It must not be comfortable.) "Writing up those recon reports for Cody and General Kenobi took forever. I just turned in." Rex looked Ahsoka up and down and a frown formed on his face. "You look miserable, kid, are you alright?"

"It's nothing serious," Ahsoka said. "Just growing pains... haven't been able to sleep the past few nights. It's worst in my lekku. They've been throbbing like crazy and giving me a major headache."

Rex chuckled. "Ah, I know about growing pains. Don't miss those days."

"You do?" Ahsoka asked. Rex nodded and patted the space next to him for Ahsoka to sit. She obliged.

"Accelerated aging, remember? We clones grow twice as fast as regular humans. There was a time, I must had been about seven or eight, I grew about four inches in three weeks. Felt like my skeleton was trying to rip out of my skin."

"That sounds awful!" Ahsoka exclaimed. "I'm sorry you all have to go through that. Mine isn't nearly as bad." She rubbed a lekku sympathetically.

"We managed," Rex replied. "There's a bunch of remedies that help to ease the pain. Definitely ask Kix for some meds, he'll know what to give you. Stay hydrated, it helps. Maybe carry an extra canteen just in case." Rex was counting the pieces of advice on his fingers. "Warm water helps too. Not that we have many opportunities to soak in a hot bath... but maybe wrap some hot rags around the worst areas, like your lekku. And massage the area, loosen up those muscles. We uh," Rex scratched his chin. "For lack of a better phrase, we used to have... massage parties..."

Ahsoka stifled a giggle. "Massage parties?" She repeated. "Did you paint each other's nails too?" Rex gave her a pointed look and Ahsoka put her hands up in defense. "Sorry! Just joking. I think it's incredibly sweet that your brothers always help each other out, even for something like that."

Rex smiled and nodded. A beat of silence passed between them, then the clone ran a hand through his closely buzzed hair. "If you want," he began, "I can give you one now... maybe it'll help you get to sleep."

Ahsoka smiled at the captain's awkwardness and sincerity. "That would be great, thank you!" she chimed. She scooted closer to face him, legs tucked beneath her and hands in her lap.

Rex gave her a puzzled look. "Umm, are you gonna turn around?"

"Well, you're gonna massage my lekku, right?" Ahsoka looked at him expectantly.

"Err... sure, yeah I can." Rex sat on his knees and gently turned Ahsoka so she was directly in front of him. He raised a hand to his chin and stroked it in a Kenobi-esque fashion. "I'll do my best, but obviously clones don't have lekku, so tell me if I... do something I shouldn't."

Rex gingerly lifted a lekku in his hands. Ahsoka noticed how extremely careful he was not to touch her chest. She could almost roll her eyes at how gentlemanly he was. He took it between both hands and rolled it like a baker rolls a string of dough. Gently at first, he gradually rolled harder.

"Let me know if it's too much pressure." Rex said.

Ahsoka felt awkward looking at Rex when he was this close to her, so she chose to look out into their dark surroundings. "Mmm, no that's fine," she replied. It actually felt _really good_. The throbbing in the lekku Rex was handling was nearly gone, and her headache had started to dissipate.

Not to mention it started to make her feel... warm and tingly. Rex's hands running over her lekku were sending tiny jolts of electricity down Ahoska's spine. Although she was feeling more relaxed, her heart started to race. Ahsoka had heard rumors that lekku were a pleasure zone for Togrutas. Did Rex know that? The thought made a blush creep to her cheeks that she hoped he didn't see in the darkness. She was never really educated on the biology of Togrutas. The only other member of her species in the Jedi temple was Shaak Ti, who was away on Kamino most of the time and otherwise waaaay too monk-like and matronly to be asked such intimate questions.

Ahsoka decided to close her eyes and let out a tiny sigh of content. Rex stopped for a moment, not knowing how to judge her reaction. Without opening a eye, Ahsoka mumbled, "It's working, keep going."

Rex continued his ministrations. He worked her other lekku the same way for a while, then began rubbing her temples and forehead, making his way up to her montrals. Ahsoka cracked an eye open to watch him, his face full of concentration, eyebrows knitted and tongue sticking slightly out the side of his mouth.

Ahsoka smiled slightly at his dedication. It was adorable. _He_ was adorable. Ahsoka had always liked Rex more than the other men in the 501st. It was obvious why - she had spent more time with him during battles and missions than any other clone, and had seen what a great captain and leader he was. They had become pretty good friends since their first meeting on Christophsis.

But now that Rex was inches from her face, running his hands all over her lekku, making her heart race and her skin prickle with excitement, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice other things about Rex. Like how _handsome_ he was. Sure, he shared a face with 3 million other men just like him, but there was something special about Rex. Maybe it was his hair. Ahsoka was always intrigued by Rex's hairstyle. Blonde was an odd color choice for someone like Rex, and he kept it so shortly buzzed, she wondered why he even bothered to color it. She figured he must have to cut and color it every week. Despite this, the hairstyle suited him perfectly. Or maybe it was his eyes. One thing Ahsoka noticed about clone troopers were their eyes. They were brown, but the exact shade was not identical between clones. It was a trait that Ahsoka genuinely appreciated about clones. It made them unique from birth. Rex's were a shade of amber, and on the occasion that Ahsoka saw him in the sun without his helmet, there were specks of gold that flickered in them. She saw some of those specks now from the faint glow of the moon above them. Then there was his physique. Tall, muscular, literally engineered to be the finest specimen of man in the galaxy. The Togruta's heart beat even faster.

"Feel any better, Commander?" Rex pulled Ahsoka back to reality. He scooted back from her, finished with his handiwork.

Ahsoka tried to brush off the lingering tingly sensation she felt and the blush that was definitely burning her cheeks. "Loads better!" She ran a hand over her lekku, the throbbing pain in them gone, along with her headache. "Thanks Rex, you're a miracle worker." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

Rex stiffened for a moment, then relaxed and patted Ahsoka awkwardly on the back. "Erm... anytime kid. Happy to help." They released the hug. "Make sure you get that cup of water before heading back to bed," Rex instructed as Ahsoka rose to her feet.

Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "I will. Thanks again."

"Oh, and Commander," Rex ran a hand nervously through his hair again. Ahsoka swore she could see him blushing, even in the darkness. "Maybe we shouldn't tell General Skywalker about this."

Her stomach fluttered. She knew it was going to start doing that a lot more now. "That's probably a good idea."


	2. Part 2 - The Morning Buzz

**Part 2 - The Morning Buzz**

 _Summary: Ahsoka returns to the 501st after a long absence away, and her arrival causes a commotion among the camp._

* * *

Rex rubbed the last bit of sleepiness from his eyes as he made his way to General Skywalker's tent. The 501st's encampment was buzzing with commotion this particular morning. Rex mingled through them with a puzzled look, passing several groups of shines huddled together and sharing whispers. He caught phrases of "did you _see_ her?" and "wow and I thought twi'leks were good looking" and "do you think the general will let us paint her on the ship?"

The clone captain rolled his eyes. There must be a female in camp somewhere. Maybe a local. The new recruits always got gossipy when there was a lady around. For a lot of them it might be the first real-life humanoid female they've seen. "Stupid," Rex muttered to him. He had no patience for such nonsense. Helmet tucked under his arm, he threw a glare at a nearby group of chatty shinies, who snapped to attention and shut their mouths the moment they caught the clone captain's eyes. Rex shook his head when he heard them gabbing again once they thought he was out of range. He was glad his seasoned men weren't so easily distracted.

Or so he thought. Rex rounded the corner to the medic tent, where Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase were engaged in their own inappropriate conversation.

"But how could they have gotten so big in such a short amount of time?" whispered Hardcase.

"Is that always the first thing you notice?" interjected Jesse.

"Well, _medically_ speaking," began Kix, tapping his chin. He was interrupted when Rex cleared his throat loudly in front of the trio.

"Not you guys too," Rex said with annoyance. "Can someone please tell me what has gotten the entire camp in such an uproar?"

"Err, well captain," Jesse ran a hand over his head awkwardly. "Commander Tano arrived back this morning to lead the campaign with General Skywalker."

Rex raised both eyebrows. "Did she?" That was good news - Ahsoka Tano had been absent from the 501st for nearly six months. She had several duties and missions involving the Jedi temple, and other engagements with Master Plo that had kept her off the front lines for a while. Rex felt a little better. He was excited to see the Togruta kid too after all this time. He hated to admit it, but he had missed her. She made this war a little more tolerable.

But that still didn't explain all the strange comments he's heard through camp. "...and?" Rex asked expectantly.

Jesse was at a lost for words and Kix put up his hands as if to say "oh no, I'm not touching that." Hardcase chimed in. "Well sir, it seems she has... umm... grown quite a bit the past few months."

" _Grown_ quite a bit?" Rex repeated, his eyes narrowed. He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Yeah, puberty has been good to her," blurted out Hardcase. "Or whatever it is Togrutas go through. Kix was just about to explain that." Jesse groaned in embarrassment next to him, a hand on his face, while Kix glared daggers at the clone. Hardcase stood there oblivious, grinning.

"Kix," Rex pinched the bridge of his nose, wavering on his last ounce of patience. "Why in the galaxy do you have any knowledge of Togrutan puberty, when you are a medic in an army of _male human clones_?" He emphasized each word.

"In my defense, captain, sir," Kix stuttered, "I'm also a medic for the Jedi, and Commander Tano is the only non-human and female member of the 501st... so I felt the need to do a bit of extra research."

" _How_ exactly will extensive knowledge of Togrutan puberty assist Commander Tano if she gets injured on the battlefield?"

Kix shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "I wanted to be prepared?" He said it more as a question than a response. Hardcase stifled a giggle next to him, and Jesse tried to hide his smirk behind his hand.

Before Rex could respond, his comlink started chirping. Knowing it was the general wondering where he was, Rex motioned to the trio of clones. "This conversation is not over. Behave yourselves until I get back." He answered the call and continued his path to the jedi's tent.

Anakin waved Rex inside the tent. "Morning Rex," chimed the Jedi. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. "There's a surprise for you inside."

"It wouldn't be Commander Tano, would it?" Rex gave the jedi a half smile. "The whole camp has been... err... buzzing about it all morning."

The clone captain heard a disappointed huff behind Anakin. "Darn! Some of the boys must have seen me when Master Plo and the Wolfpack dropped me off. I wanted to surprised everyone." Ahsoka stepped out from behind Anakin. "Hey Rex!" she waved cheerily.

Rex's eyes widened at the sight of her. The men weren't kidding. She _had_ grown. Ahsoka stood a good 6 inches taller, half of which was her growing montrals. Her lekku had grown as well, the chevron marking stretched more dramatically across them. Her face was thinner, rid of some of the youthful chubbiness it has when he last saw her, and it somehow made her eyes looks bigger and bluer and her lips plumper and redder.

Then there was her _outfi_ t. Rex had never been a fan of Ahsoka's old clothes. He understand that she was a Jedi and prided herself on being extra agile, so she disliked wearing copious amounts of robes like some of her Jedi brethren. But the amount of bare skin she exposed stressed Rex out during every battle with the fear she would come out with cuts and burns and other bad injuries that could have been prevented if the kid wore decent armor. Not to mention he didn't think it was appropriate for a Jedi padawan to be running around in a tube top. The Togruta's new tunic and leggings at least covered the majority of her body, but Rex wondered how in the galaxy Ahsoka managed to wear _more_ clothes than before but somehow look _more_ provocative. It was probably the way the clothing fit so snugly to her newly developed and very curvy figure...

Rex snapped back to reality and pushed the inappropriate thoughts to the back of his mind. This new outfit was going to stress him out too. Maybe he should talk to General Skywalker again about getting Ahsoka some armor.

Ahsoka waved a hand in front of Rex's face. "Uh, hello? Is anyone in there?"

"Sorry!" Rex felt the back of his neck start to heat up in embarrassment. Realizing his helmet was still tucked beneath his arm, he quickly and awkwardly jammed it on his head to keep the two Jedi from seeing the flush creep on his face. "It's still early and I'm not fully awake yet... what were we talking about?"

"Umm, nothing." Ahsoka's hand went to her hip in her signature pose. "I said hello and you stood there staring at me for a good thirty seconds."

"Right, well, good to see you Commander," Rex fell into his typical captain stance, trying to dissipate the awkwardness. "You've definitely been missed here. How was your time at the Jedi temple?"

Ahsoka perked up and told a few short anecdotes as she and Rex joined Anakin, who had begun looking over information at the command table in the center of the tent. Anakin jumped right into the mission debrief, and it took all of Rex's will power not to stare at Ahsoka the entire time through the indiscreetness of his helmet. Looking at her was giving him a strange, fluttery feeling in his stomach, that was completely new and foreign to him. Yeah, he should definitely talk to the General about that armor.

Anakin dismissed him to prep the troops, and Rex removed his helmet as he exited the tent, feeling overwhelmingly stuffy inside of it. He passed the medic tent where Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase had not moved from their position or strayed from their conversation.

"Wait, so they," Hardcase cupped his hands and motioned to his chest. "Stop growing but the head tails still do? That's a damn shame-" He was cut off by a elbow to the ribs from Jesse as Rex approached them.

"We're moving out in two hours, so get ready," Rex stated almost too gruffly. Each of the three clones gave him an amused look. " _What_?" Rex implored impatiently.

"Sir, either you just completed an ARC trooper morning drill," quipped Jesse.

"Or you got a glimpse of the Commander," finished Hardcase with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "You're all red. And a bit sweaty."

Rex grunted in reply, not admitting to anything.

"Ooo, the commander's got the captain all hot and bothered," teased Hardcase, awarding himself with another jab in the gut from Jesse.

"It's okay, captain, it's a perfectly normal reaction," offered Kix apologetically.

Rex raised a finger to the trio, about to throw a comeback, then decided against it. "Two hours." He said through gritted teeth, then stormed away. Over his shoulder, he called, "And if I hear of anyone trying to paint nose art of Commander Tano on any of the ships, they'll be on latrine duty for the next month."

"Ooo! I gotta sketch that out." He heard Hardcase whisper excitedly to his two companions. Rex really needed to talk to General Skywalker about that armor as soon as possible.


	3. Part 3 - Blue Balls

**Part 3 - Blue Balls**

 _Summary:_ _Ahsoka and Rex go undercover at a slave ring disguised as a night club. Rex gets a lap dance._

* * *

"Master, how come everything we have a slave liberation mission, I'm always the one stuck being the slave?" Ahsoka shifted uncomfortably on her feet as she held up the _extremely_ skimpy slave outfit her master handed to her.

"I don't do the slave thing, Snips. You know that," replied Anakin, a look of amused sympathy on his face. "Plus most of these slave rings are after females, so it's either you or putting a wig on Rex."

"I'd make an ugly women, sir." Rex commented as he eyed up his own disguise with suspicion. Ahsoka snorted at his remark.

"Besides," Anakin continued. "Rex is playing the role of slave master today."

"Wha- I am?" Rex's eyes widened. "I thought I was just a backup mook again. Aren't you gonna be the slave master?"

"Nope, someone needs to stay behind on the ship to monitor the situation and provide air support if needed, and Obi-Wan just got called back to the Jedi temple." He patted the clone captain on the shoulder. "Plus I know you don't do flying combat, Rex."

Rex nodded in agreement, but he still looked concerned. He and Ahsoka shared a glance that seemed to say "what has Anakin Skywalker gotten us into now?"

* * *

An hour later, Rex and Ahsoka were traveling towards the capital city Runye of the planet Anlaqq. Their mission, at least the way that Anakin saw it, was simple. Anlaqq was a Inner Rim planet with an underground slave ring that the Republic has been trying to bust for years. There were rumors of Separatist support, and eventually they were able to track it down to a Chiss politician-turned-entrepreneur-turned-night-club-owner, Kanti'hado'raquo (nicknamed Hado), who supposedly was the mastermind behind the complex secret codes and trading system the slave ring used.

Rex was bringing Ahsoka to Hado's night club, cheekily named Blue Balls (Anakin had laughed for a solid 10 minutes when the mission details came in, and when Ahsoka asked what was so funny, he only continued laughing while Rex turned a very deep shade of pink). Rex was under the guise of Tamd, an Outer Rim slave trader who specialized in lek females, and was bringing one of his prized captives to Hado in hopes of striking up a business partnership.

Hado had numerous powerful allies across the galaxy, and taking him in would be quite the challenge. They needed solid evidence. Anakin's idea was to get a confession out of him, and he installed listening devices in both their disguises for him to monitor from the ship. Easier said than done. Hado was a smart man, and his coding system was legit. They had to be careful.

Ahsoka fidgeted in her slave costume. It looked even skimpier on her. A thin tube of iridescent fabric barely covered her chest, it was adorned in beads and charms that hung loosely in a few strings that trailed down to her belt. The belt was metallic, and from it draped matching iridescent fabric that went to her calves, with slits so uncomfortably wide, Ahsoka was sure you could see her behind poking out from it. She was thankful for the cloak Anakin had given her, an off-white silk that must be worth more than the Togruta's entire wardrobe.

Ahsoka pulled the cloak closer around her and looked up at the clone captain walking next to her. "These slave missions are getting _old_."

"I'm with you, Commander," Rex replied. He was avoiding making eye contact with her. He had not seen what was under her cloak and was willfully trying _not_ to imagine what was under it. If their past slave mission was any indication, Ahsoka was a little _too_ good at playing the exotic and beautiful slave girl. It made Rex shamefully hot under his collar.

"I'm really not the best choice to play the slave master, anyways," Rex continued. "If this guy catches one glimpse of my face, he's gonna know we're from the Republic." He motioned to his helmet, a rusty old bucket with small slits for the eyes and nose. The rest of his disguise was dingy and unimpressive, reminiscent of the many slave traders of the Outer Rim. "Clones are literally the worst choice for undercover missions."

"We'll manage," Ahsoka reassured him. "Or we'll escape guns blazing in typical Skywalker fashion." She grinned at him, and he returned it.

* * *

Rex buzzed the com on the door of Club Blue Balls. A small panel opened in the door, and a womanly voice greeted them. "How can I help you?" she said.

"My uhh... companion here is looking for a job." Rex recited from the slave ring's code lingo. "I'm here to escort her."

"What kind of job?"

"The kind that pays the bills and puts her through the academy."

"Who are you here to see?"

"I've heard Mr. Hado would be quite generous in helping further this girl's education."

The door opened, and the woman behind it motioned down the hallway. "I will inform Mr. Hado of your arrival. This way please."

Rex and Ahsoka followed. With the woman's back to them, Ahsoka raised an impressed eyebrow marking at Rex.

"Ah, you must be Tamd!" Hado greeted Rex as he and Ahsoka entered the room. He sat in a plush red chair, which looked more like a throne, behind a large intricately carved wooden desk. Two smaller but equally plush chairs were in front of him. The room was adorned with fancy pillows on the floor, floating lanterns, and several wooden pieces that matched the desk. It looked like either a classy cantina or a trashy office. "Sit, please sit." said Hado. With a wave of his hand, he ushered the woman out, the door whizzing shut behind her.

Rex sunk into one of the chairs in front of Hado. Ahsoka stood expressionless behind him. Hado eyed her up. "You too, sweetling. And please take off that cloak, you must be stifling hot in it." His smile was too sincere and sickening.

Ahsoka obliged, taking the cloak off slowly and draping it on the chair next to Rex. Her eyes didn't leave Hado. He was short for a Chiss, and none too impressive. She sat down in the seat.

Rex was staring down the Chiss as well, not daring to look at Ahsoka while she removed her cloak. He caught a brief glimpse of her in his peripherals as she sat down, and felt his heart start to race. Where in the _galaxy_ did General Skywalker get that outfit? Was it missing a few pieces?

"So tell me, Tamd," began Hado, leaning forward on his desk. "What brings you and your friend to Anlaqq?"

"I heard there was quite the academy program here. I'd like to get my companion enrolled." Rex replied confidently.

"And what do you expect in return, my friend?"

"The satisfaction of knowing this girl is getting a fine education."

Hado grinned smugly and leaned back in his chair. "Well then. Let's see if she's worthy of a scholarship." He turned to Ahsoka. "Tell me sweetling, are you a good dancer?"

Playing the role, Ahsoka turned to Rex with a wide-eyed helpless expression. Rex fought down the shiver that pass through him when she looked at him like that, and nodded to her.

"I am, sir," Ahsoka replied. She leaned towards the desk, her voice low. "Please allow me to show you how good I am."

Hado chuckled. "Oh sweetling, I save myself for only the most prestige and worthy of dances. You must prove yourself first." He motioned towards Rex. "Why don't you and your escort convince me?"

Rex eyes widened at his implication. Was this guy telling Ahsoka to give him a lap dance? He stiffened in his chair, eyes following Ahsoka as she stood up and faced him. The look on her face said "are we really gonna do this?"

Rex gave her a small nod in affirmation. He looked over at Hado and tried to sound nonchalant. "Can we get some music please, good man?" Hado pressed a button on his desk, and an image of a few Rodian musicians pop up accompanied by some sleazy jizz music.

Turning his attention back to Ahsoka, Rex tried to take an inconspicuous deep breath. So many thoughts were swarming in his head, the most forefront being his hope that the listening devices General Skywalker had installed in their disguises didn't have a visual feed.

Ahsoka swung her hips slowly to the beat of the music. Rex's eyes followed her hands as they trailed over her own curves. His fingers twitched in response, and the clone captain had a passing thought that he wished the hands touching her body were his. _Kriffing hell_ , Rex thought to himself. _I need to focus on the mission_.

Ahsoka linked her arms behind his neck and straddled one of his knees. She continued moving to the music, ghosting her body across Rex, barely touching him. Rex felt his body react urgently in response, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and tried to close his legs, wishing for the protection of his clone armor. Her body finally made contact with his, and her chest dragged across his chest. She leaned in close to his ear, her voice a whisper and not audible over the sound of the music.

"If we wanna make this convincing, you need to _touch me_ ," she said, a little too breathily. Rex's hands shot up almost instantly, holding Ahsoka at the waist and pulling her closer to him. Ahsoka let out an involuntary squeak, and the two heard Hado hum with satisfaction behind them. Her hands began to explore Rex's clothed body, running down his chest and stopping at his waist. Their eyes met before she continued. Ahsoka gave the clone an apologetic look, but there was a glint of something in her eyes that lit a fire in Rex's stomach. She sunk to her knees in front of him and spread his legs, rubbing her hands up and down his thighs. She trailed over something hard, and Ahsoka blushed, knowing it was not her concealed lightsaber within his clothing. Rex's hips bucked and he bit down hard on his lip to keep from moaning. He was going to need a very very cold trip to the refresher after this mission.

Hado clapped his hands with delight and turned off the music. "Quite the performance!" He exclaimed. Ahsoka rose to her feet, disheveled (though Rex swore he saw a smirk of satisfaction on her lips), and return to her chair. Rex sat up straight and tried to calm himself down. "There's a bright future in store for this girl," the Chiss continued. "You seem to quite enjoy her company, are you sure you wish to part with her?"

"Yes, of course," Rex replied. "I've got other girls I need to... erm... help out."

"Don't we all, my friend!" Hado reached across the desk to shake the clone's hand. "I think this will be the start of a great business adventure for you and me. Now," he eyed up Ahsoka hungrily. "Before we make final arrangements, I'd like a showcase of this girl's skills for myself."

Rex clenched his fist, resisting every urge to sock this sleemo in the face. They were running out of time, and Rex was running out of code words. Before he could respond, Ahsoka leaned forward, dancing her fingers across the desk. "I have always dreamed of living on the beautiful world of Anlaqq," she said, her voice low and flirty. "What sort of wonders await me here, sir?"

"Oh sweetling," Hado cupped Ahsoka's chin. "You'll be enjoying the luxuries of my night club here. With your skills, only the finest customers will receive your servicing."

"Mmm, but what about the rest of Anlaqq? What shame to have me cooped up in this club all day and night." Ahsoka responded sweetly, her eyes large and inviting.

"You know the answer to that, sweetling."

"But not even a little glimpse? Or a little credits to indulge some girlish fantasy?"

Hado's hand dropped from Ahsoka's face. He was starting to loose his patience. Rex sat in silence watching the exchange. "Same answer as well," the Chiss said flatly.

"Not even a little bit?" Ahsoka teased.

Hado grabbed Ahsoka's chin roughly. Rex restrained himself from jumping out of his seat, his hand on the concealed blaster within his clothes. "Sweetling," Hado spat, a fake grin on his face and vemon dripping from his voice. "You know what you are. You know what this is. You are never stepping foot outside this club." He leaned in close to Ahsoka's face, and incidentally, her hidden listening device. "You're _my_ slave now, girl."

"Finally," Ahsoka sighed, smacking away the Chiss' hand. "Rex, let's bag this sleemo."

"With pleasure, sir." Rex didn't bother reaching for his blaster. A bewildered Hado couldn't move fast enough, and Rex socked him in the face, knocking him off his chair and out cold.

Ahsoka raised another impressed eyebrow marking at Rex as she donned her cloaked. "Nice one!"

"I've been wanting to punch that creep's lights out since we got here," Rex grinned. He dug in his pocket and tossed Ahsoka a communicator before lugging the Chiss over his shoulder.

"Master," Ahsoka spoke into it, "Mission accomplished. Please get us out of here."

* * *

A while later they were back on the ship, Hado restrained and in tow for trial on Coruscant. Anakin had congratulated them on a job well done, and an awkward silence fell between the two Jedi and clone.

Anakin cleared his throat. "So umm, next time we do any type of undercover mission, I'm gonna make sure we use just audio feeds and not visual feeds." He gave them an lazy two-finger salute, a smirk on the Jedi's face, and headed for the cockpit. Rex and Ahsoka stood speechless, their mouths agape.

Rex face his face flush for the hundredth time that day. "Commander, I want to apologize," he turned to Ahsoka. "My actions turned... a little unprofessional back there."

Ahsoka's face was reddened as well, the chevrons on her lekku turned a dark shade of blue. "No, no, Rex, it's fine. We did what we had to do for the mission. I got a little carried away myself."

"We should probably keep the details of this mission to ourselves."

"Good idea."

Their eyes met, and the air between the Jedi and clone thickened. Ahsoka felt some kind of unseen force moving her closer to the captain, and Rex didn't even register that it was his hand that gently grasped the front of her cloak, rolling the silk fabric between his fingers. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, confusion emotions whirling between the two of them.

Anakin poked his head out from the cockpit. "Hey! We're about 20 minutes from Coruscant so you two might wanna change in-" Rex and Ahsoka both jumped at his intrusion, shoving away from each other. Anakin slowly raised an eyebrow at them. "Am I... interrupting something?"

"No, sir!-" "-N-no, master!" Rex and Ahsoka exclaimed at the same time, both taking another step away from each other.

"Well, good then," Anakin looked amused. "Both of you better change out of those slave clothes before we land on Coruscant."

* * *

A few days later, with Hado behind bars, things between he and the Commander normal again, his head intact on his shoulders and not decapitated by Skywalker, and reunited with the rest of the 501st on Coruscant, Rex finally felt at ease about the Anlaqq mission. Finishing up his debrief (and being careful not to include some specific details about it), there was a knock on his office door.

"Hey captain!" Hardcase's head appeared in the doorway. "So I hear Commander Tano gave you a lap dance..."


	4. Part 4 - 17 at 79's

**Part 4 - 17 at 79's**

 _Summary: Rex and some of the boys of the 501st take Ahsoka to 79's for her first legal drink on her birthday._

* * *

"Pardon me asking, master, but why are we heading to the clone barracks after curfew?"

"We got assigned to an emergency mission last minute. Gotta debrief before we ship out tomorrow morning."

Ahsoka motioned to the woman walking with them. "And Senator Amidala is... assisting with the mission?" She raised an eyebrow marking.

"You could say that," Padme remarked with amusement.

"Have faith and trust your elders, my young padawan." Anakin said they rounded the corner to the 501st's barrack entrance. He cough, rather long and obnoxiously, before buzzing the door, and Ahsoka narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COMMANDER TANO!" came a chorus of voices from within the room.

Ahsoka laughed as she jumped back in surprise. "You _did not_!" She turned to her master and gave him a teasing slap to the chest. "Thank you!" she called to the men of the 501st. She couldn't help but smile and feel a little warm and fuzzy. It _was_ her birthday today, but it had been pushed to the back of her mind. Jedi did not really acknowledge birthdays, plus she has been busy fighting in a war the past few years, and her birthdays have been spent stuck in a trench or slicing her way out of a droid factory. She couldn't remember the last time she had actually celebrated it. Somehow Anakin must have found out, and of course her master would jump at the opportunity to disregard Jedi code and coerce his entire legion into throwing a surprise birthday party for his padawan.

The room was decorated with crudely cut strings of fabric and scraps of metal hanging from the ceiling, all painted blue. Ahsoka was pretty sure the streamers above their heads were medical gauze. The clones must have used their old sheets, spare armor paint, and other things laying around the barracks to make the decorations, she thought with a smile. Resourceful. There was music playing from a console in the middle of the room, and a bunch of crates and single bunks were pushed together to make a sitting area around it. A few tables were packed with trays of snack, and Ahsoka's heart warmed when she realized the men must have pooled together a week's worth of snack rations to provide them. It was incredibly sweet.

She meandered around the room with Anakin and Padme, greeting the troopers she passed, thanking Kix for wishing her a happy birthday, adjust the party hat Jesse placed on her head, devouring the mini cakes Hardcase placed in her hands.

"Oh, there's Rex. I put him in charge of this little shindig." Anakin waved a hand at the clone captain. "Hey Rex!" He made his way over with Padme and Ahsoka.

Rex stiffened at attention when the Jedi and his companions approached, and Ahsoka put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. His helmet was clipped to his belt, and there were two party hats crookedly placed on his head. She didn't know if he was trying to imitate her montrals, was unaware that he was wearing two, or flat out didn't know how to put on party hats. That in combination with his all-business attitude made him look ridiculous.

"General, Senator, Commander," the clone captain greeted. "I hope the party is to your liking,"

"You did good, Rex," Anakin patted him on the shoulder and he relaxed. "Nice work."

"You're quite the party planner!" Ahsoka grinned at him.

Rex scratched under his chin, one of those nervous habits he did when he was embarrassed, Ahsoka had noticed. "Eh, the men did most of the work. Kix was the creative one who came up with the decorations. Jesse and Hardcase may have illegally raided the commissary, I'd rather not find out. Anyways, you deserve it, Commander. Happy birthday." He winked at her.

Ahsoka felt her stomach flutter at Rex's uncharacteristic sentiment. She hoped he didn't noticed the blush that was darkening her lekku. "So what's up with your party hats?" she asked the clone captain, trying to distract herself. "Trying to start a new trend?"

"Wolffe won't wear his." Rex nodded over his shoulder to the Wolfpack commander, who was sitting by himself on a crate not far from them, totally disinterested in the festivities around him.

Ahsoka waved at him and he put up an unenthusiastic hand in acknowledgement. "General Plo couldn't make it so he sent me in his place," he said flatly. "I'm not allowed to leave until the party's over."

They chatted and mingled a while longer until Anakin excused himself. "It's getting late, and I should escort Senator Amidala back to her apartment. He gave Ahsoka a squeeze on the shoulder then turned to Rex. "Captain, I trust you'll get the birthday girl back to the temple at a reasonable time?"

Rex gave him a salute, his party hats jiggling at the action. "Of course, sir."

Padme pulled Ahsoka aside and gave her a hug, slipping a handful of credits into her pocket. Ahsoka ran a hand over them, giving Padme a confused look. "You know the drinking age on Coruscant is 17," the senator whispered to her. She winked. "Don't tell Anakin." Ahsoka grinned, and waved innocently to Padme and Anakin as they departed for the senatorial apartments.

The room cleared out shortly after that (with Wolffe being the first clone out the door). Soon only Ahsoka, Rex, and a handful of troopers who they was close with - Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase - remained, sitting around the music console and sharing the last of the snacks.

"So Commander, how old are you now?" asked Kix.

"17!" Ahsoka responded enthusiastically. "Officially an adult. At least on Coruscant." She puffed her chest out, hands on her hips for emphasis.

"Woo, Commander, you're officially legal!" whooped Hardcase, receiving a jab in the gut from Jesse and a death glare from Rex. "For a _drink_ , I mean," he added defensively.

"Hey! We should take the Commander out for her first legal drink!" chimed Jesse. "It's not too late, right?" He checked his chrono.

"Yes!" Hardcase bounced in his seat. "Drinks! Drinks!" Jesse pumped a fist in the air to the rhythm of his chant.

"Let's do it!" Ahsoka jingled the credits in her pocket, dying to put them to good use on her first night as a legal adult.

"Absolutely NOT," Rex cut in. "I need to take Commander Tano home." He looked to Kix expectantly, hoping for some support from the more milder of his brothers.

"Er, I don't see any harm in it, captain." Kix said sheepishly. "I've seen General Kenobi out with the 212th a few times. Don't think there's any rules against it."

"Please Rex?" Ahsoka asked sweetly, her eyes big and blue, lips slightly pouty.

Ahsoka used to give that look to him all the time when he first met her, and it had easily swayed the clone captain to her side. He thought he had moved passed her ways of persuasion but recently that look was affecting him in _other ways_. Still, it was not worth the wrath of Anakin Skywalker. "No way, General Skywalker will _kill_ me."

"He doesn't have to know!"

"I'm not going to lie to the GENERAL."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and frowned. "Fine, I'm just going to go back out again once you drop me off at the temple. And if anyone happens to meet up with me," She cast looks around the group. "It would be completely by coincidence."

"Not if my men are ordered to stay in their barracks until sunrise," Rex shot back.

"So," Ahsoka leaned in with an arched eyebrow marking. "You'd rather me explore the nightlife of Coruscant on my own than with the protection of the 501st?" She grinned in anticipated victory as the men snickered around her. "I'm sure my master will love to hear about that."

Rex grumbled in defeat. "Okay, fine. _One_ drink. Back to the temple by midnight. Deal?"

"Deal!" Ahsoka clasped her hands in delight.

"And that's going to be a regular drink. No shots!"

"Fine, fine," Ahsoka bounced to her feet. "But you all have to wear your party hats the entire night."

Rex adjusted the twin cones that adorned his head.

* * *

"Well to 79's!" Hardcase waved his arms dramatically as he stepped out of the taxi. "The best clone bar on Coruscant."

"The _only_ clone bar on Coruscant," Jesse corrected him.

"You guys only have one bar to go to?" asked Ahsoka. "That's no fun."

"We used to have loads more," Jesse explained. "But as soon as ONE clone gets into ONE bar fight, suddenly ALL clones are banned from that bar. Bartenders claim it's too much work to scan every clone that comes in and weed out the bad ones, so we all get banned."

"Lost so many good bars that way," Kix commented sadly.

"Luckily 79's doesn't give a flying kriff!" cheered Hardcase. He had taken Ahsoka's party hat and strapped it to his head with the other one, like Rex.

"It's not a dangerous place, but it can get a little rowdy," Rex was all business again, and Ahsoka still could not take him seriously with the party hats bobbing on his head like colorful horns. "So make sure you stay close to one of us. And if anyone give you trouble, let me know and I will straighten them out." He grinned at her.

They entered the bar, and Ahsoka was hit with a wave of music, voices, and the strong smell of alcohol. Her senses felt overloaded as she surveyed the room, and she couldn't help but grin at how _mature_ it all felt. She and Rex snagged an empty booth while the others ordered drinks, with strict and specific orders from Rex about what to get the birthday girl.

They returned shortly after and present Ahsoka with a sparkly pink drink that smelled sickenly sweet. She grabbed it eagerly, and gulped down half of it in a few seconds. It was delicious, but her nose stung and eyes watered at the strong alcoholic aftertaste.

Rex laughed and patted her back when she started to cough. "You gotta pace yourself, kid."

She nodded with an embarrassed grin and started to take smaller sips. The group finished their drinks quickly, and Ahsoka eyed up the robotic waitress who was rolling around taking orders.

Rex followed her gaze and shook his head. "The deal was one drink, Commander," he wagged a finger at her.

"Yeah, but the deal was also back to the temple by 12. It's not even 10 yet. What are we gonna do for the next two hours? Just sit here?"

"C'mon captain, another drink won't kill her," Hardcase said.

"Honestly, is it gonna make a difference to the general if she had one or a few drinks? So long as she gets back to temple at a decent hour and mostly sober," added Jesse.

Rex was being way too easy tonight. "If I get court-martialed, you're all going down with me. Go order another round."

Hardcase bounced to his feet before Rex even finished his sentence and quickly returned with a tray of tiny glasses filled with a bright green, almost radioactive, liquid.

"I said no shots!" Rex snatched the glass out of Ahsoka's hand before she could bring it to her lips. She protested, and not knowing what to do with it, Rex downed it along with his own shot.

Ahsoka was about to grumble about not getting a drink when a waitress spun by and dropped one in front of her. "Courtesy of the bartender. He heard it was your birthday," she recited. Rex muttered something under his breath but didn't object to Ahsoka accepting the free drink.

"Free birthday drinks for the Commander!" cheered Hardcase. He ordered a round of beer for himself and his brothers.

"Do you guys get free drinks on your birthday?" Ahsoka asked them.

Kix laughed. "Pretty sure the Republic would go bankrupt if they gave free booze to every clone on their birthday. Besides, clones don't really celebrate birthdays."

"You don't?" Ahsoka frowned. "Why not?"

"Thousands of clones share the same birthday. Doesn't really feel special," he continued. "Some of us celebrate our name days, though."

"What's that?"

"The day a clone get his name. A real name, not a number designation."

"That sounds even better than a birthday." Ahsoka smiled. "How did you guys get your names?"

"I got a really bad injury one time as a cadet." Kix explained his story first. "The doctor was giving me an evaluation, and when she was poking around, triggered the reflex in my leg and I kicked her right in the face and off her feet. She had a black eye, but laughed it off and keep working. Tough as nails, those doctors. That incident is what inspired me to become a medic."

Jesse went next. "My first instructor was named Jesse. Older guy, from Mandalore. A little rough around the edges, but a great mentor. He was on leave for a few weeks back on his home planet, but got caught up in the civil unrest and never came back. My entire squad wanted to honor him in some way. I took his name."

"My bunkmates always joked that I had a crack in my growth tube." Hardcase grinned. "And they wonder how the heck the tube could have cracked, and decided that my thick skull must have smacked against it. So one day, we were in the middle of a training simulation, and I ran headfirst into a mounted turret, and the gun fell on top of me. They stopped the simulation, thinking that the turret had knocked me out, cracked my skull, or worse. I was perfectly fine, but the gun had a nice-sized dent where my head was." He knocked on his head. "Quite the 'hard case.'"

Ahsoka and the three clones looked to Rex expectantly. He purposely ignored them, sipping from his beer.

"Rex?" Ahsoka put her face in her hands, determined to stare down the clone captain until he answered her. "How did you get your nickname?"

"Don't even bother, Commander," said Jesse. "No one knows how the captain got his name. Not any of us, not General Skywalker, not even Commander Cody. It's a mystery."

"Oh really?" Ahsoka took that as a challenge. "C'mon, Rex, not even a hint?"

"Nope," the clone captain responded bluntly.

Before Ahsoka could pursue, the waitress rolled by their table again and dropped a glass of blueish liquid in front of Ahsoka. "Compliments of that gentleman at the bar," she nodded in the direction of a Twi'lek man, who looked three times older than Ahsoka. He raised his glass in acknowledgement.

"I think that guy just bought you a drink," Jesse gave Ahsoka a playful nudge.

"But I already have a drink," Ahsoka said, swirling the still-full glass in her hands. Her eyes lit up. "Do you think he'll buy me moz sticks?!"

"Commander, NO." Rex put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaving the booth. He snatched up the blue drink and made stern eye contact with the Twi'lek man as he downed it in a few gulps. The Twi'lek put up his hands in defeat and slinked away from the bar.

Not long after, a human male around Ahsoka's age approached their booth. He was dressed in the gray uniform of a Coruscant flight academy student. "Hey there," he flashed a grin at her. "Care to ditch your clone escorts and join me for a dance?"

"Move along, flyboy," Rex growled at him.

"What are you, her boyfriend or something?"

"If I was, you'd already be out on the curb with a broken jaw." His death glare went right through the boy, and he backed away and disappeared back into the crowd.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. She should scold Rex for being too overprotective, but she kind of liked how worked up he was getting over these sleamo guys who kept tried to pick her up. She couldn't help but think he might be a little... jealous?

As the night progressed, Ahsoka lost count of the overly friendly men and free drinks that turned up at their table. Rex allowed Ahsoka to have one more before the end of the night, and he snatched up the rest to drink before she could grab them. Their three companions did a good job of keeping up, and when Hardcase got completely smashed, Jesse and Kix decided to dragged him to the dance floor to sober him up.

Rex's face was flushed and he leaned back against his seat, tapping his fingers to the music. The hats on his head were completely lopsided, one nearly covering his eye like a pointy eyepatch, but he didn't seem to notice. Ahsoka wondered how many drinks he had. 9? 10? He stole quite a few from her. She heard clones had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol, but Rex definitely looked a little buzzed. Ahsoka rested her head in a hand and smiled while she watched him. He was a pretty cute drunk.

Rex must have caught her staring because he side-glanced her. "What is it? he asked.

Ahsoka snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh nothing," she stammered. She reached up to his head and fixed his party hats so they were sitting even on the top of his head. "It looks like you have montrals." She grinned.

"Does it?" He patted the hats. "I keep forgetting I have these on. No wonder everything keeps looking at me funny." He patted her head. "My montrals aren't as as nice as yours, though."

Rex was definitely buzzed. Ahsoka linked her arm with his. She was feeling a little buzzed herself. Not totally drunk, but enough to make her feel a happy kind of fuzzy and have a strange urge to keep _touching_ Rex. "Thank you again, Rex," she said to him. "For taking me out. It's been a fun night. I really appreciate it."

He didn't pull away from her touch, and patted the hand that linked with his arm. "Anything for you, Commander."

"We should do this more often. Go out drinking, I mean."

Rex laughed. "If the general doesn't kill me when he finds out about tonight, sure."

"Maybe just the two of us sometime?"

"I'd like that," Rex replied, then quickly added, "I can only take so much of the motley crew that is Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix. You're a much better bar companion." He checked his chrono. "Kriff! I need to get you back to the Jedi temple. It's nearly 12." He stood up and stumbled out of the booth, falling face first onto the floor.

Ahsoka laughed and hopped out after him. "Captain Rex, I do believe you are _drunk_." She reached out a hand help him up.

"I am NOT," Rex retorted, but he couldn't help but lean against Ahsoka for support, the room spinning around him. Captain Rex of the 501st Legion did not _get drunk_. He had way too much dignity for that. He was completely about his wits, his body just wasn't fully cooperating.

"You didn't have to drink EVERY drink that was put in front of me," Ahsoka continued. "I'm responsible, I know better than to overdo it my first night out,"

"You shouldn't waste good alcohol like that," Rex could hear his words slurring but could do nothing to physically form them properly. "I'm fine, let's grab a taxi." He waved to Jesse and Kix on the dance floor, who seemed to be having their own problem locating Hardcase, and motioned to them that he was bringing Ahsoka home.

"Do guys always buy you drinks on your birthday?" Ahsoka asked him as they left the bar. The fresh air made them both sway a bit when they got outside, and they zig-zagged their way to the taxi pavilion.

"You didn't get those drinks because it's your birthday," he slurred. "It's because you're beautiful."

Ahsoka felt her stomach flutter again, and she stopped in her tracks. "...you think I'm beautiful?" she asked genuinely, almost timidly.

"'Course I do," Rex responded. "I have eyes, don't I? Just because I'm a clone doesn't mean I'm oblivious to that kind of stuff." Okay, maybe his wits weren't about him either. Rex felt the words pouring from his mouth and couldn't do anything to stop them.

Ahsoka's face felt hot, partially from the alcohol and partially from the feelings that were bubbling in her stomach. "Rex..."

"Ah, I'm sorry... I don't know why I said that." He groaned and put a hand to his head. "Maybe I am drunker than I'd like to admit. Let's get you back to the temple before I say anything else stupid."

They sat in awkward silence in the taxi, but Ahsoka smiled the entire way back to the temple, replaying what Rex had said over and over in her head. She wanted to say something to him about it, but she couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make things even more awkward.

Rex walked her to the base of the temple steps, significantly better on his feet than he had been at the bar. "Are you sure you'll be alright getting back inside to your room?"

"Of course. Are _you_ sure you'll be alright getting back to the barracks?"

"Eh, I'll manage. It's just a few blocks."

Ahsoka stepped closer to him. She looked up at him, and following his gazed to see he was staring at her lips, a look on his face like he was deciding whether or not to do something. Ahsoka bit her bottom lip teasingly, wanting to gauge his reaction, and was pleased when his eyebrow twitched in response and eyes flashed with an intent look. She had been in close proximity to him before, closer than this in fact, but something about this night, the alcohol buzzing in their brains, Rex's jealous reaction to the men trying to buy her drinks, the choice words he said to her outside of the bar, it all made this moment feel extra intimate. Kissing him felt like the right thing to do. She should just go for it! What was the worst that could happen? He would pull away and she could blame it on the alcohol. She caught herself staring at his lips now, tanned and chapped, and wondered if they would taste like the faint fruity alcohol smell she detected on his breath. What it would feel like being crushed against his armor, his gloved hand running down her lekku...

Before she could do anything, Rex stepped away. "I should get going," he said in a quiet voice, uncharacteristic for the clone captain.

"Rex, wait," Ahsoka pulled him back, and he looked at her expectantly. Again her brain searched for something to say. "Why won't you tell anyone where you got your name?"

Rex laughed, and Ahsoka swore she saw a glint of disappointment in his eyes. "It's a personal thing. But who knows, maybe someday I'll tell you. If you get me drunk enough."

"Challenge accepted." She grinned at him.

Rex shook his head with a smile. "G'nite, Commander."

"Goodnight, Rex."


	5. Part 5 - In Her Master's Footsteps

**Part 5 - In Her Master's Footsteps**

 _Summary: Rex and Ahsoka bond over their shared suspicion that Anakin has feelings for Padme._

* * *

Rex shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he trailed behind the general and his senator friend. They had just been assigned to escort Senator Amidala back to Naboo for a diplomatic meeting with the queen and a few neighboring allies. Well, no. _Rex_ had been assigned to escort the senator. Anakin had declared that he was taking on this mission himself, and even after the council disagreed and demanded that he remained on Coruscant for other Jedi duties, he whispered to Rex as they left the room that he was still coming along.

It was not the first time this has happened. Rex had been asked to escort Senator Amidala on multiple occasions, and each time Anakin had figured out a way to tag along. You would think the council would have caught on by now and would start assigning someone _other_ than Anakin Skywalker's commanding officer to protect Padme Amidala. Rex chuckled at the thought. He was no expert on love, but it was pretty obvious how Anakin felt about the Naboo senator.

That being said, he dreaded these escort missions. He liked Senator Amidala - she was smart and kind, and he could understand why the general was infatuated with her. But every time it was just the three of them, Rex felt like an awkward third wheel, and General Skywalker always seemed irritated by his intruding presence. He wished Commander Tano was coming along. At least then he'd have someone to talk to.

As if reading his thoughts, Anakin spoke to him. "Rex, call Ahsoka and brief her on the mission. I'd like to use this as a... umm... learning opportunity for her."

Rex rolled his eyes inside the privacy of his helmet. Learning opportunity? Yeah right. Alibi for himself? More likely. "Yes, sir," he responded. Still, he was looking forward to Commander Tano's company.

* * *

"I can't believe this." Ahsoka was sitting in the pilot's chair of their Naboo cruiser, her legs propped up on the control panel. She spun back and forth in the chair in a failed attempt to amuse herself. "I thought Master Skywalker was supposed to be training me. Isn't that why he brought me along on this escort mission? It's been ten hours and I've barely seen him for more than five minutes."

"Welcome to 'escort missions with General Skywalker,'" replied Rex. He was lounging in the co-pilots seat, equally bored. "Lots of waiting around and doing nothing."

"What even is he DOING?"

"Can't said I know." Though Rex did have a pretty good idea.

"I'm sure he's off following Padme around like a lost puppy." She shrugged. "I know they're close friends and everything, but my master is way too obvious about his feelings for her. He's gonna get himself in trouble one of these days."

Rex chuckled. "Guess I'm not the only one who noticed."

"You see it too!" Ahsoka perked up in her seat. "He's ridiculous, right? You know one time he asked me to lied for him to Master Kenobi? We were supposed to have a meditation session, and Padme asked him if he wanted to join her at some senatorial dinner. So he blew me off and said 'Hey Snips, if Obi-Wan asks where I am, could you still tell him we're mediating?'" Ahsoka puffed out her chest and did a mocking impression of her master.

Rex nodded. "You know this is the ninth or tenth escort mission of mine that he's hijacked? All involving Senator Amidala. Every time he makes up some excuse to come along and commandeers the mission. This time the council ordered him to remain on Coruscant, and he still came anyways."

"My master has always had a... questionable interpretation of the Jedi Code and the orders of the council." She shook her head. "You know, I wouldn't really care if he was just honest with me about it. I get it. The Code can seem a little difficult to follow and contradictory at times."

"How so?"

"They expect Jedi to be filled with compassion and unconditional love, assign us life-long mentors, surround us with friends, send us across the galaxy to meet all walks of life, and yet we are forbidden to become attached to any of that. It's an impossible expectation to live up to." There was a wistful look upon Ahsoka's face.

"That does seem impossible," he responded as he studied her. Rex wondered if a certain padawan would follow in her master's footsteps of disobeying the Jedi Code. He wondered if maybe she had already?

"Clones have similar rules, don't they?" Ahsoka asked him. "I've overheard some of the men talking about it."

"I guess so," Rex said thoughtfully, with a strange feeling bubbling in his stomach. "Relations are strictly forbidden during times of war. I've seen a few men get into some trouble with that."

Ahsoka's eyes lit up. "Juicy! Do tell. Anyone I know?"

"Commander, that's not really appropriate..."

"C'mon Rex, what else are we gonna talk about while we wait for Master Skywalker?"

"Alright, alright," he began. "You remember Vault? He tried to bring a lady friend back into the barracks one time. Would have been assigned to sanitation duty if General Skywalker hadn't intervened. Then there was Torbo who sneaked off one night during a mission to shack up with some local females. That one was out of the general's hands. Don't know where he winded up. I've heard a few guys from General Windu's battalion got into some serious trouble regarding a cantina visit in the Outer Rim." He considered telling her about the clone deserter and his non-human wife he met on Saleucami, but decided against it. He hadn't been able to shake the feeling of how similar Cut and Suu were to himself and Ahsoka, and the less he thought about that, the better.

"Has anyone ever been court-martialed for it? Jedi get excommunicated if they are discovered to be in a secret relationship."

"I don't think so. Most get off with a slap on the wrist. Some of the worst offenders, or those with a general not as lenient as Skywalker, get reassigned or put on probation. They usually won't court martial a trooper for something like this unless it was with a commanding officer."

Ahsoka crinkled her nose in disgust. "A fellow soldier? Like, another clone?"

"Haha, no!" Rex laughed. "Those I have heard some disturbing rumors about that... I think they're referring to the Jedi."

"Have any clones and Jedi... you know..." Ahsoka seemed a little too interested in this conversation, Rex noticed.

"Not that I know of." He paused. "A buddy of mine got into some trouble with that."

"Who?" Ahsoka was on the edge of her seat.

Rex was hesitant. "Bly."

"No!" Ahsoka gasped in surprised. "With Master Secura?"

"Nothing was going on between them," Rex assured her quickly. "Bly, he was... is... pretty infatuated with her."

"I could have guessed that," Ahsoka leaned back with a grin. "The way he acted with her on Maridun, he's almost as bad as Master Skywalker. So what happened?"

"Bly is pretty tight-lipped about it. That is until he gets some alcohol in his system. A few times I've gone drinking with him, he's gotten completely smashed and spilled his guts. Or he'll stay completely quiet, then cry every a Rutian Twi'lek would pass our table."

"Aww," Ahsoka leaned her head in one of her hands. "That's kind of sweet."

"Anyways, someone must have overheard one of his confessions and reported him to the Jedi council. They brought him in for questioning, and were going to reassign him to a different general, but he convinced them it was just drunk rambling. They're still keeping an eye on him, I've heard. Bly doesn't go bar-hopping anymore."

"How did Master Secura react? She must have been fine with it if she allowed him to continue to serve as her commander."

"I don't know. Bly said he wasn't sure if they told her. They've never spoken of it. Though gossip travels quickly among clones, so I'm sure she found out from someone."

"Hmm." Ahsoka sat with her thoughts for a moment. Rex watched her, wondering what was going through the young Jedi's head. He felt a little guilty about gossiping about his brothers with her, but he trusted she would keep it to herself. Telling her about Bly felt good in a weird way, like it was his own confession of his questioning feelings for her.

He wasn't quite sure what those feelings were. Of course he cared about Ahsoka, in the same way he care about his men, his other brothers, and Anakin - they were family. And although the captain of the 501st would never admit to having a _crush_ on his commander officer, he knew he felt something more for Ahsoka. But he had more important things to worry about, like keeping his men alive and winning this war, and if Bly's situation was any indication, it would not end well for the clone captain if he was to act on any of those feelings.

"What about after the war?" Ahsoka's question pulled Rex out of his thoughts. "Are you guys allowed to pursue relationships then?"

"Well the policy does say 'active war time,' so I would hope any clones that survive the war would be free to do what they want." He gave her a sly grin. "Why are you so interested in the love lives of clones, anyways?"

Ahsoka's lekku blushed a deep shade of blue. "N-no reason... we were talking about Master Skywalker and got off topic..." she stammered. "Do you think they would force him out of the Jedi Order if they found out about him and Padme?"

"I hope not," Rex replied. "I doubt they would for something as silly as having inappropriate feelings for someone.

"I hope so too. I think a lot of us would get kicked out then," Ahsoka said quietly. She looked at Rex, and moved over to sit on the arm of his chair.

Rex watched her intently, and stiffened in his seat when she sat so close to him. After everything they just talked about, what was she doing? She placed a hand on his chest, tracing the chipped paint, dents, scratches, and other imperfections in the plastoid. He hoped she couldn't feel his heart pounding through his thick armor.

"Ahsoka," he warned. "What are you doing?"

"Following in my master's footsteps, it seems..." Her voice was low, and it sent a jolt down Rex's spine that went right to his unmentionables. She was biting her lip, hesitant to move closer. He had to hold back the instinct to close the distance between them himself, not daring to be the first to initiate anything. Finally her lips pressed against his cheek, smooth against his rough stubble. They stayed there for several seconds, which felt like an eternity to Rex. His arms remained frozen at his sides, and before he could reciprocate any affections, Ahsoka pulled away. She wore a satisfied smile, but there was a strong blush on her face and lekku.

Rex himself was flustered, feeling unbearably hot inside of his armor. He was sure his face was almost as dark as her maroon tunic. "What... was that for?" he managed to choke out stupidly.

"Let's call it... a little revenge at my master for breaking code, sneaking around, and leaving us to wait and cover for him." Ahsoka hopped off the arm chair and returned to the pilot's seat.

Rex nodded at her, and shut his mouth when he realized it was slightly agape.

Their awkward silence was interrupted shortly after when the cockpit door buzzed open and Anakin Skywalker strolled in. His hair was disheveled, and he looked just as flustered as Rex.

"Pad- Senator Amidala is finishing up with the diplomats. You guys can prep the ship, we'll head out in a few..." He trailed off for a moment and looked at Rex. "Captain, are you alright?"

Rex eyed up Anakin's appearance, realizing the general's feelings for a certain senator... might not be completely futile. "I'm fine sir," he responded. "Are YOU alright?"

Anakin looked at Rex, then at Ahsoka sitting suspiciously quiet next to him, then back at Rex. His eyes narrowed, but Rex swore there was a hint of a smile on his lips. "I hope you two weren't too bored waiting for us," he said. "Sorry we didn't get to any training, Snips. I thought I should sit in on the meeting with the senator. You know how Obi-Wan hates when I get involved in this political stuff, so if you could tell him we were practicing forms..."

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "As you wish, master. This beats boring temple seminars, anyways. I actually don't mind accompanying you the next time you need to escort Miss Padme somewhere."

"I agree, sir. Commander Tano's presence is quite appreciated." Rex added.


End file.
